The San Francisco 49ers took on the New York Jets in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. The defending NFC Champions came away with a win but aren’t fully healthy heading into a Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
The expectation was that star running back Christian McCaffrey would play despite dealing with Achilles and calf injuries during the week. However, when San Francisco released its inactive list before kickoff, McCaffrey was surprisingly listed and didn’t play for the 49ers. The starting running back had aggravated his Achilles and calf injuries during the week and could not get to a point where he could play in the game.
Heading into Monday, analysts were downplaying the injury and reinforcing the narrative that CMC would play. Now that we know the injury is more severe than previously thought, will McCaffrey play in Week 2?
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Is Christian McCaffrey playing this week?
After playing on Monday night, San Francisco has one less day to prepare for their next game. Tuesday is often the first practice day of the week, albeit usually a lighter walkthrough day. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with the media on Tuesday and said that the expectation is that McCaffrey will be day-to-day this week.
Shanahan added that McCaffrey likely would have played if it was a playoff game. While the running back has dealt with both Achilles and calf issues as part of the injury, the focal point of his recovery is his Achilles tendinitis and the fluctuating severity of the pain.
WEEK 2 FANTASY RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
How long is Christian McCaffrey out
The best-case scenario is that this week’s extra rest could be enough to get him healthy enough to suit up on Sunday against the Vikings. Injured reserve hasn’t been floated around, so the coaching staff must believe he doesn’t need to miss four games to fix it.
If McCaffrey misses Sunday’s game against Minnesota, he will turn his attention to being ready for the team’s Week 3 divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Christian McCaffrey Fantasy Outlook
If McCaffrey is active and fully healthy for the Niners, he is a fantasy football cheat code. He often gets 15-plus carries and five-plus targets per game and was the consensus No. 1 running back option for analysts this season. If McCaffrey is fully healthy and has no issues, he is a must-start. If he heads into the weekend “questionable” but is active, he’s still a must-start even if he sees slightly fewer touches than usual.
McCaffery is typically matchup-proof, and there isn’t much of a sample size to go off of for 2024. Still, the Minnesota defense handled the New York Giants running backs in Week 1. The Vikings allowed just 10.4 fantasy points total to Giants running backs last week in half-point PPR scoring.
| Rushing Attempts | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | Targets | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns | Fantasy Points | |
| Devin Singletary | 10 | 37 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 7.2 |
| Eric Gray | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2.0 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1.2 |
49ers RB depth chart
- Christian McCaffrey
- Jordan Mason
- Isaac Guerenedo
- Patrick Taylor Jr.
Christian McCaffrey
When healthy, McCaffrey is arguably the best running back in the league. He is the definition of a dual-threat running back and is just as dangerous coming out of the backfield as a pass-catcher.
McCaffrey’s kryptonite has been his health. He played in 16 games last season, only sitting in the year’s final game when the Niners had already locked up a playoff spot. McCaffrey played in 17 games in 2022, splitting time between San Francisco and the Carolina Panthers, but he had played in a combined 10 games in the two seasons prior.
Jordan Mason
Mason was undrafted in 2022 and played his college ball at Georgia Tech. He has been in the backfield rotation for San Francisco for the last two years, backing up McCaffrey. Mason was thrust into the starting job in Week 1 and played incredibly, notching 147 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
| Carries | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | |
| 2022 | 43 | 258 | 1 |
| 2023 | 40 | 206 | 3 |
Isaac Guerendo
Guerendo was drafted out of Louisville in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent five years with Wisconsin between redshirting and taking advantage of COVID-19 extra seasons before transferring to Louisville for his final season.
| Games | Carries | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | |
| Wisconsin | 27 | 99 | 582 | 6 |
| Louisville | 14 | 132 | 810 | 11 |
Patrick Taylor Jr.
Taylor Jr. was undrafted in 2021 but stuck with the Green Bay Packers for three seasons as a mix of running back depth and special teams help. He has seen minimal action so far in his career and likely won’t see the field much for San Francisco, even if McCaffrey’s injury lingers.
| Games | Carries | Rushing Yards | Touchdowns | |
| 2021 | 9 | 23 | 89 | 1 |
| 2022 | 14 | 10 | 31 | 0 |
| 2023 | 11 | 32 | 141 | 0 |